‘Slow them down’: Oswego school board discusses school security plans

Oswego School officials continue to look at ways to improve security at the district’s schools to keep students and staff safe.

At the Oct. 7 Oswego School District 308 board meeting, staff presented board members with the district’s annual safety and security update. Before the presentation, Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin and Oswego Police Sgt. Brian Nehring presented Karen Kala, building nurse at Fox Chase Elementary School, with a letter of accommodation for the actions she took last month to help stop a suspicious person who followed a parent and student into the school.

“Nurse Kala bravely stepped between the man and the door leading to the secure area of the building,” Bastin told board members. “She then stepped toward him, signaling to him she would not let him pass. And this ultimately led him to exit the school building.”

The man later was charged by police with disorderly conduct. During the discussion about the safety and security update, Oswego School Board Vice-President Eugene Gatewood asked how the district is assessing that it is prepared for threats.

In replying to his question, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Jeremy Bell said Kala’s actions were an example of how the district is prepared.

“We can see and highlight an individual who took it upon herself to follow through on things that she had been trained in,” Bell said.

In the last two years, Bell said staff has taken several actions to make the district more secure, including increasing the use of cameras in its elementary schools, doing threat assessment training and updating its emergency response plans.

Staff will assess the need for additional security improvements in the future. That could include implementing an identification badge protocol for all staff to ensure that school officials know who is in their buildings at all times.

Board member Jennifer Johnson liked that idea.

“That definitely seems like it is a low hanging fruit,” Johnson said. “The ID badge protocol is something I hope we can do in the future.”

Johnson asked Bell to elaborate on what measures are taken when a threat happens.

“If somebody is trying to do something harmful, the best thing we can do is slow them down,” Bell said. “So whether that’s a classroom door that’s locked, whether that’s a call box on the front, whether that’s utilizing the vestibules and not allowing them to gain entry in any way, shape, or form, it gives our first responders an opportunity to respond and to react and to come to aid.”

Bell said the district also looks for ways to communicate with the public during an incident without jeopardizing the investigation and assessment of the threat.

“We’ve learned some things based on some things that have happened over the years about how critical communication is,” he said. “What we don’t want to do is spread misinformation.”